Portable refuse packer

ABSTRACT

A wheeled container having a pair of hinged lids has a packer plate mounted for sliding movement within the container. A wheeled power unit has a hydraulic cylinder with a piston rod arranged for detachable connection with the packer plate in the container. Refuse deposited in the container is crushed and compressed to a small volume by the packer plate and when the container is full the power unit is connected to an empty container. Then the filled container is wheeled to a loading area for garbage trucks and its contents dumped into a truck. Thus, the packer is brought to the refuse instead of following the conventional practice of transporting the refuse to the packer.

United States Patent Glanz 1451 Aug. 1,1972

[54] PORTABLE REFUSE PACKER [72] Inventor: Richard G. Glanz, 3638 NE.139th Ave., Portland, Oreg. 97230 [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 171,515

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 47,300, June 18,1970.

[52] US. Cl. ..100/220, 220/55 E [51] Int. Cl. ..B30b 15/06 [58] Fieldof Search...lO0/220, 229 R, 229 A, 269 R, 100/295, 245; 214/152; 220/55D, 55 E, 55

3,507,410 4/1970 Liberman etal ..100/229A 3,575,103 4/1971 Charles..l00/229A Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Attorney-Lee R.Schermerhorn [57] ABSTRACT A wheeled container having a pair of hingedlids has-a packer plate mounted for sliding movement within thecontainer. A wheeled power unit has a hydraulic cylinder with a pistonrod arranged for detachable connection with the packer plate in thecontainer. Refuse deposited in the container is crushed and compressedto a small volume by the packer plate and when the container is full thepower unit is connected to an empty container. Then the filled containeris wheeled to a loading area for garbage trucks and its contents dumpedinto a truck. Thus, the packer is brought to the refuse instead offollowing the conventional practice of transporting the refuse to thepacker.

o5 i3 IO 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAus 1 m2- SHEET 1 OF 2INVENTOR. RICHARD G. GLANZ 3w Attorney PORTABLE REFUSE PACKERCROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisionof my copending application, Ser. No. 47,300, filed June 18, 1970 nowUS. Pat. No. 3,625,140 which issued Dec. 7, 1971.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus forpacking refuse for disposal.

When an establishment has a large amount of refuse to be disposed of, itis customary to bring the loose refuse in garbage cans or trash bins toa large stationary packer. The packer is ordinarily located outside ofthe building in order to compress and pack the refuse into largecontainers which are hauled away from time to time. An array of garbagecans is necessary for this type of operation, requiring an excessiveamount of handling and an excessive amount of space. Such refuse oftencontains extremely bulky material such as empty cardboard cartons andnewspapers.

Liquid is also present in opened bottles and cans. This liquid isspilled in the garbage cans, spilled in transferring the refuse to thestationary packer and spilled in the operation of the packer in packingthe refuse in the large containers. This makes it difficult to maintainthe premises neat and clean in the areas where refuse is handled.

Objects of the invention are, therefore, to provide an improvedapparatus for handling refuse, to provide an apparatus for handlingrefuse which requires less space than conventional methods and apparatusand which allows the refuse handling areas to be kept neat and clean, toprovide an improved refuse container, to provide refuse containers withtheir own packer plates for compressing bulky refuse into a small space,to provide a detachable power unit for operating the packer plates in aplurality of such containers, to provide portable refuse containers andportable power units of the type described mounted on wheels and of asize that can be moved through doorways and into elevators, to provide apacker system in which there is no spillage in handling opened cans andbottles containing liquid, and to provide a refuse container of the typedescribed equipped with dumping means for use with conventional garbagetrucks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, wheeledpower units and refuse containers are provided of a size to be movedthrough ordinary doorways and into elevators. One power unit may serve anumber of the containers. The containers are equipped with dumping meansfor use with conventional garbage trucks.

Each container has a packer plate mounted for sliding movement therein.The power unit is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder and piston and amotor driven pump for operating the cylinder. Thus, the power unit maybe moved about and operated at any place where an extension cord may beplugged into an electrical outlet. The piston rod in the power unit isintroduced through an opening in one end of the container for detachableconnection with the packer plate. This opening in the container isspaced a distance above the bottom of the container so that any liquidspresent in the refuse are not spilled on the floor.

This arrangement permits the handling of refuse to be carried outefficiently and permits the premises to be maintained neat and clean.One or two such containers take the place of a considerable number ofgarbage cans. A large amount of refuse may be compressed in therelatively small containers at various points of collection in a largebuilding, thereby eliminating the movement of a large bulk of looserefuse to a single stationary packer and the storage of the looserefuse.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects andadvantages will become apparent from the following description of thepreferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Various changes may be made in the details of construction andarrangement of parts and certain features may be used without others.All such modifications within the scope of the appended claims areincluded in the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of arefuse packer embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on the line 2--2 in FIG. 1 with parts in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the power unit; and

FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIGS. 1 and 2 a power unit Pis shown operatively connected to a container C. Both units are mountedon caster wheels 10 for convenient mobility. Preferably, the units areof a size to pass through ordinary doorways either individually or whencoupled together as shown.

The container C has a flat bottom wall 11, a pair of opposite verticalupper side walls 12 and a flat end wall 13 extending from top to bottom.On its opposite end the container has a flat vertical U-shaped end wallhaving a bottom portion 14 extending across the width of the containerand a pair of opposite side portions 15 extending to the top of thecontainer on opposite sides of an opening 16 which extends from bottomportion 14 to the top of the container. Opening 16 is framed by ahorizontal lower beam 17 at the top of wall portion 14, a top horizontalbeam 18 and a pair of vertical posts 19. Opening 16 is bridged by athird horizontal beam 20.

A pair of sloping side walls 21 extend from bottom wall 11 up to theupper side walls 12. The upper edges of sloping side walls 21 are offsetinwardly at 22 from the lower edges of side walls 12. A horizontalchannel 25 is mounted on the outside of end wall 13 and two shorthorizontal channels 26 are mounted on vertical end wall portions 15 onopposite sides of opening 16. These channels are adapted to receive thearms of a container lifting and dumping fork on a conventional front endloader type of garbage truck.

Upper beam 18 is part of a rectangular horizontal frame 29 whichsurrounds the top of the container. A narrow lid 31 is mounted on hinges32 on frame 29 on one side of the container and a wide lid 33 issimilarly mounted on hinges 34. Lid 31 covers a charging space 35 andlid 33 covers a packing space 36.

The underside of lid 33 is stiffened by a plurality of ribs 30 parallelwith end wall 13. The left edge of lid 33 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is equippedwith an inclined upstanding deflector plate 27 connected with astiffening flange 28 on the edge of the lid. On the left side ofcharging space 35 a deflector plate 23 is mounted on beam 18 with anedge portion 24 overhanging the charging space. Deflector plates 27 and23 form a hopper to guide refuse into the charging space.

The lids are secured closed by fasteners 37. Each fastener 37 has avertical plate mounted on a horizontal hinge pin 38 and equipped with acatch 39 which hooks under frame 29. The fasteners are released manuallyfor dumping and when the empty container is returned to uprightposition, the fasteners return by gravity to latched position as shownin FIGS. 3 and 5.

An inclined packer plate 40 is mounted for sliding movement in chargingspace 35. The packer plate preferably has a bottom portion 41 inclinedat a somewhat greater angle than the rest of the plate. A horizontalstiffening rib 51 is mounted on the front side of plate 40 atintermediate height. The upper edge of plate 40 is spaced a shortdistance below lid flange 28 and plate portion 24. The back side of thepacker plate is equipped with a central vertical stiffening rib 42 and apair of vertical stiffening ribs 43 adjacent its side edges. Bracketplates 44 on each rib 43 are rigidly connected with the rear end of aforwardly extending horizontal guide plate or arm 45.

Each guide plate 45 slides in and completely fills a horizontal channel46 seated on offset 22 and connected to side wall 12. The channels 46are open in charging space 35 but are closed by a cover plate 47 inpacking space 36. Thus, channels 46 and cover plates 47 form enclosedguide tubes for the guide plates 45 in the packing space 36. Cover plate47 extends rearward to a rear end 48 and forward to a front end 49 inFIG. 2. Front end 49 is spaced a short distance from end wall 13 toprovide an opening 50 in packing space 36. Cover plate 47 and guideplate 45 are effective in keeping most refuse out of guide channel 46but if some refuse should get behind the cover plate 47, the forwardmovement of guide plate 45 will discharge it through opening 50 to keepthe channel clear.

A pair of bracket plates 55 having a rearward facing horizontal slot 56is mounted on the back side of packer plate 40 at approximately the samelevel as guide plates 45. A pair of hooked latches 57 is pivotallymounted at 58 a short distance forward from the end of slot 56. A pairof links 60 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the front ends oflatches 57 and its upper end is pivotally connected at 61 with anL-shaped handle 62. Handle 62 is pivotally mounted at 63 on brackets onpacker plate 40. When handle 62 is moved to broken line posit on asindicated at 62a in FIG. 2, the latches 57 are raised to broken lineposition at 57a. Lowering handle 62 to its solid line position closeslatches 57 to solid line position, the pivot 61 passing over center inrelation to pivot 63 to hold the latches closed. These latches are shownclosed in FIG. 3 and open in FIG. 5.

Power unit P contains a double acting hydraulic cylinder 70 which ispivotally mounted at its upper end on a pivot 71 in a bracket 72 on aframe member 73. Frame member 73 is equipped with a rest 74 to supportthe cylinder in inclined position as shown in FIG. 2 with its piston rod75 inclined downward. The end of piston rod 75 is equipped with acrossbar 76 which is adapted to enter the slot 56 and be engaged bylatch 57 when the power unit P is brought up to the end of the containerC.

Hydraulic pressure for cylinder 70 is supplied by a pump and motor unit77 associated with reservoir tank 78. The motor is energized byextension cord 79 and the movements of the piston are controlled by avalve 80 having a valve handle 81. An automatic cycling device may beprovided causing the piston to advance, retract and stop.

Packer plate 40 is shown in retracted position in solid lines and infully advanced position in broken lines in FIG. 2. In retracted positionthe upper edge of the packer plate comes to rest under plate portion 24and in advanced position the upper edge of the packer plate passes underflange 28 on lid 33.

The parts just described in power unit P are con tained in housing 82having a front opening 83 surrounded by a forwardly extending lip orflange 84. Flange 84 fits in openings 16 in the container and locatesthe power unit in proper position against the end of the container withportions of the power unit seated against the beams 17, 19 and 20 of thecontainer. The lower end of frame member 73 extends down to brackets 85which seat against beam 17.

When flange 84 of the power unit is brought into opening 16 in thecontainer, crossbar 76 on piston rod 75 moves into slots 56 in thebrackets 55 and is held in the slots by latch 57. Handle 62 foroperating the latch 57 extends through the upper part of opening 16above the power unit when the packer plate 40 is fully retracted.

The opposite sides of the container C are equipped with brackets eachhaving a hole 91 to receive a hook 92 on a chain 93. Each chain 93 isanchored to a bracket 94 on the side of the power unit and is arrangedto be tightened by a suitable tightener such as a conventionalover-center lever action type of chain tightener 95. Chains 93 assumethe reaction force from the thrust of piston rod 75 in packing andcompressing the refuse in the container. Brackets 94 are mounted onframe member 73 whereby the thrust reaction of the piston rod istransmitted directly from cylinder to through frame 73 to the brackets94 and chains 93.

When the container is empty, both lids 31 and 33 may be opened and aconsiderable amount of refuse dropped into the container in both spaces35 and 36 without operating the packer plate 40. When it is desired tooperate the packer plate, the lid 33 is secured closed by fasteners 37,motor and pump unit 77 is started and piston rod 75 is extended inresponse to manipulation of valve 80. The packer plate then moves to itsbroken line position at 40a in FIG. 2. The packer plate fits the crosssectional shape of the container with a small marginal clearance space,compressing the refuse against end wall 13.

When valve 80 is reversed to retract the packer plate 40 back to itssolid line position in FIG. 2, more refuse may be dropped into chargingspace 35. Lid 31 may remain open until the container is so full that theforward movement of the packer plate tends to force refuse upward out ofthe charging space. During its forward movement, the packer plate isstabilized for easy sliding movement by the long forwardly extendingguide plates 45. These guide plates fill the tubes formed by coverplates 47 on channels 46 except for a small running clearance, causingthe refuse to be substantially excluded from these tubes. Thecompressing action of packer plate 40 enables the container C to holdthe contents of a considerable number of garbage cans filled with looserefuse, depending on the type of refuse. Channel 25 reenforces end wall13, and offsets 22 and channels 46 provide reenforcement to preventbulging of the side walls.

The spacing of the upper edge of packer plate 40 a short distance belowlid flange 28 causes large paper boxes and the like to be bent aroundthis flange rather than being sheared off. The spacing of the upperedgeof the packer plate below both flange 28 and plate portion 24 operatesas a safety feature, preventing injury to an operators fingers in theseregions. Overhanging plate portion 24 serves as a guard plate.

The parts are proportioned so that the forward ends of guide arms 45 areretained behind cover plates 47 when packer plate 40 is fully retractedand at the same time the rear ends 48 of cover plates 47 will allowsufficient forward movement of the packer plate to move the forward endsof guide arms 45 to the openings 50 at the forward limit of movement.

As packing space 36 becomes filled, the slope of packer plate 40 causesthe refuse to be more tightly packed at the bottom of the container,producing a tendency for the refuse to move forward along bottom wall11, upward along end wall 13 and backward along the underside of lid 33.If this backward movement were unrestrained, the top layer of refusewould fall back into charging space 35 each time the packer plate isretracted. Such fall back is effectively prevented by ribs 30 and flange28. These projections-into the packing space act as stops to lockthe toplayer of refuse in the packing space against backward movement and keepthe charging space open to receive more refuse.

The bottom layer does not exhibit a tendency to spring back into thecharging space when the packer plate retracts. Rib 51 on the packerplate restrains upward movement of material along the front surface ofthe packer plate as the plate moves forward, preventing material frombeing pushed upward out of the charging opening. This combination offeatures causes the container to hold a maximum amount of compressiblematerial for the most efficient handling of many different types ofrefuse.

When the container has been filled, lid 31 is latched closed and thepower unit P is removed by merely disconnecting the hooks 92 frombrackets 90 and opening the latch 57 by means of handle 62. The powerunit is then backed away from the container and moved to another emptyor partially filled container at the same collecting station or at adifferent collecting station. The filled containers may be wheeledthrough doorways and onto elevators, if necessary, for travel to thegarbage truck loading area. The bottom of the container forms a closedsump to retain any liquids up to the level of cross beam 17 at the loweredge of opening l6.

Lifting forks or other devices on the garbage trucks invert thecontainer C and dump its contents into the truck. The containers may beequipped with fittings for dumping by rear end loader trucks or otherapparatus, if desired. The lids 31 and 33 having been unlatched, swingopen by gravity when the container is inverted and latch themselvesclosed again when the container is turned upright. The sloping lowerside walls 21 prevent wedging of the compressed refuse in the bottom ofthe container, allowing all the refuse to fall out freely by gravitywhen the container is inverted, including any liquid collected in thebottom sump portion.

Since the packer plate arms 45 completely fill the guide channels 46,the free gravity discharge of the refuse is not impeded by thesechannels even at their rear ends where they are not closed by coverplates 47. In this connection it will also be observed that the entirethickness of the channels is contained within the width of side walloffsets 22 so that the channels do not present obstructions to the freefalling of the refuse material.

The present refuse packer eliminates garbage cans and makes itunnecessary to move or store unsanitary loose refuse. The power unit Pand container C are moved to the point of collection as, for example,the basement outlet of a trash chute in a building. The filledcontainers are lidded and hold any liquids present, keeping the premisesneat and clean. Where there are a plurality of collection points, asingle power unit may be moved from one collection point to another,packing refuse from time to time so that large volumes of refuse do notaccumulate in loose condition.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may beused, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refuse packer, an open top container, a pair of lids closingsaid open top, one of said lids covering a charging space in one end ofthe container and the other lid covering a packing space in the oppositeend of the container, a packer plate permanently mounted within saidcontainer for sliding movement in said charging space for packing refusein said packing space, a latch device on the back side of said packerplate arranged for connection with means to reciprocate said packerplate in said charging space, and an opening in the end wall of said oneend of the container to admit said reciprocating means for detachableconnection with said latch device, said opening being spaced above thebottom of the container and the bottom portion of the container forminga sump to retain any liquids in the refuse.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 including a pair of channelsextending along opposite sides of the container, and a pair of armsmounted on opposite sides of said packer plate slidable in saidchannels.

3. A container as defined in claim 2, said container having verticalupper side walls and sloping lower side walls offset inwardly from saidupper side walls, said channels being disposed in said offsets.

4. A packer as defined in claim 2 including cover plates on saidchannels forming tubular guides for said arms.

5. A packer as defined in claim 4, said arms completely filling saidchannels and said tubular guides.

said packer plate.

9. A packer as defined in claim 1, said packer plate being inclinedbackward and having a horizontal rib at intermediate height'on its frontface.

10. A packer as defined in claim 1 including a handle accessible in saidopening for operating said latch device.

1. In a refuse packer, an open top container, a pair of lids closingsaid open top, one of said lids covering a charging space in one end ofthe container and the other lid covering a packing space in the oppositeend of the container, a packer plate permanently mounted within saidcontainer for sliding movement in said charging space for packing refusein said packing space, a latch device on the back side of said packerplate arranged for connection with means to reciprocate said packerplate in said charging space, and an opening in the end wall of said Oneend of the container to admit said reciprocating means for detachableconnection with said latch device, said opening being spaced above thebottom of the container and the bottom portion of the container forminga sump to retain any liquids in the refuse.
 2. A container as defined inclaim 1 including a pair of channels extending along opposite sides ofthe container, and a pair of arms mounted on opposite sides of saidpacker plate slidable in said channels.
 3. A container as defined inclaim 2, said container having vertical upper side walls and slopinglower side walls offset inwardly from said upper side walls, saidchannels being disposed in said offsets.
 4. A packer as defined in claim2 including cover plates on said channels forming tubular guides forsaid arms.
 5. A packer as defined in claim 4, said arms completelyfilling said channels and said tubular guides.
 6. A packer as defined inclaim 4, said cover plates terminating at a distance from the ends ofthe channels at said opposite end of the container leaving openings forthe discharge of any refuse in the covered channels.
 7. A packer asdefined in claim 1, including fasteners for said lids which areself-latching when the container is erected from an inverted dumpingposition.
 8. A packer as defined in claim 1 including ribs on theunderside of said packing space lid parallel with said packer plate. 9.A packer as defined in claim 1, said packer plate being inclinedbackward and having a horizontal rib at intermediate height on its frontface.
 10. A packer as defined in claim 1 including a handle accessiblein said opening for operating said latch device.